Not all Florida drug rehab centers are the same. For the best chance at real recovery, it is important to choose a facility that offers a wide range of services and a full mental health team working together in your best interest.
When you enter rehab, these are some of the professionals you can expect to meet and how they can help you on your journey.
Behavioral Health Technicians Support Patients and Other Professionals
Technicians are an integral part of any coordinated Florida drug rehab mental health care team. They are not in charge of diagnosing conditions or prescribing treatments. They work as support for you and for the mental health care team.
According to Study.com, these professionals typically “work alongside other medical professionals” to provide care, such as therapies and medications, that have been prescribed by another member of the team.
Mental Health Counselors Evaluate, Diagnose, and Treat Mental Health Disorders
Metal health counselors give guidance to patients and sometimes to families. They evaluate patients, learn about their strengths and weaknesses, and offer advice on finding a better path. They can also help you learn to identify the signs of relapse and create ways to avoid it.
This part of the drug rehab team may work with the addicted person or a group of people. They may encourage you to express your emotions, talk about past experiences, and help families restore communication. They can also make referrals to another mental health care professional when needed.
Addiction Counselors Focus on Managing Addictions
One of the most common faces in Florida drug rehab is the addiction counselor. These mental health care professionals are trained in substance abuse and other behavioral disorders and may work one-on-one, in groups, and with families.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, addiction counselors have these and other duties:
- Evaluate the mental and physical health, addiction problems, and other issues related to addiction
- Develop goals and plans for treatment
- Develop skills and new behaviors for recovery
- Instruct families about addiction and help outline new coping strategies
- Make referrals to other professionals
Social Workers Evaluate Specific Needs and Support Systems, Offering Referrals for Treatment
Social workers are skilled in identifying problems and solutions. They bring the right people together, advocate for their clients, and offer help coping with the challenges of addiction recovery.
In a medical setting such as rehab, social workers help link you and your family with resources in the drug rehab center as well as groups in the community when you are ready to transition back into the community. They may also help coordinate discharge and follow-up plans, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Psychiatric Nurses Handle Patient Management and Coordinate Care with Doctors
A psychiatric nurse is specially trained in providing care to people suffering from mental health disorders. Just as a nurse or nurse practitioner works alongside a physician in evaluating patients, these professionals work alongside other mental health care providers to coordinate care and administer treatments.
Psychiatric nurses may administer medications during medically assisted detox and in treatment, maintain medical records, observe patient progress, and perform tests. They also work one-on-one with patients to explain treatments and develop a self-care program.
Psychologists Diagnose and Treat All Types of Mental Health Disorders
Psychologists are educated at the doctorate level, but their expertise lies in identifying emotional, psychological, and behavioral issues and helping patients understand them.
In a drug treatment center, psychologists may help patients cope with the effects of recovery and learn better coping mechanisms than the ones upon which they usually rely. These doctors may administer tests, conduct individual or group therapy sessions, and help develop a course of care for you.
Psychiatrists are Physicians Who Specialize in Mental Health Conditions
Psychiatrists are board-certified physicians who deal with the mental health of patients in drug rehab. They diagnose, prescribe treatments, and coordinate care with other members of the mental health care team.
Psychiatrists help patients understand how addiction is related to past choices. They perform psychoanalysis through therapy, identify co-occurring conditions where they exist, and prescribe medications for addiction recovery, if necessary.
The Florida drug rehab center that you choose needs a full dedicated team of professionals who not only understand addiction but who also want the best outcome for you. Working together, they can understand the circumstances that led to your addiction, which underlying conditions might contribute to it, any special needs that you have, and what course of action is the best step ahead into sobriety.
If you or any of your loved ones are suffering from an addiction, make today the day that change begins. Contact us to learn about our team of professionals and which treatment options are available.
The Recovery Village aims to improve the quality of life for people struggling with a substance use or mental health disorder with fact-based content about the nature of behavioral health conditions, treatment options and their related outcomes. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider.